The Stuff of Legends and Nightmares
by kronosdragon
Summary: Some creatures are not what they appear to be, but rather, they have become something far more frightening.  Rated T for some disturbing imagery.  Po and the gang are placed in an alternate situation from my fic, The Eldest Pupil.  Happy Halloween!


The Stuff of Legends and Nightmares

Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks, or any other affiliated company. I just like writing about the characters. However, some characters in this fic are mine. Please don't use them without my permission.

_The following events happen back at the palace, as Po, the Five and Master Shifu are awaiting the arrival of Master Lishun in the courtyard. Up until now, the Five have not been informed of the Palace Wager…_

Po waited nervously with Master Shifu, the sun glaring in their eyes in the midafternoon sky. Clouds were drifting in from the west. Shifu could smell the rain in the air. The monsoons were coming, and perhaps with them would come a refreshing renewal of the land. The place had become far too dusty in the past few months.

Po shifted his weight anxiously. His heart was pounding in his chest, blood rushing in his ears. It did little to distract him from the impending battle with the golden dragon. He looked to the Five, standing behind them beneath the rafters. Monkey gave him a thumbs-up, in an effort to encourage him. He gave an uneasy grin and acknowledged his attempt to keep his spirits up, if a bit half-heartedly. Tigress was watching with her usual stern expression, but Po could sense a kind of softness behind it, perhaps pity. She wasn't looking forward to the fight any more than he was. Viper looked worried, and Mantis was quietly talking to Crane. Po turned back around as a shadow passed over the empty court.

Just a messenger. The goose flew past without so much as looking down. He must have been heading toward the Valley. Po looked down at his feet and clasped his hands in front of him, trying to find anything to look at other than the sky. It would only unnerve him further.

He jumped at a soft tap to the back of his knees. He looked at Shifu, who had gently swatted him with his bamboo staff.

"Hold yourself as you would have Lishun see you."

Po sighed and took a deep breath, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders. He dropped his hands at his sides and clenched his fists. His expression took on a serious calm as he exhaled and turned his eyes forward, staring into space as he tried to psyche himself up. Shifu was pleased with his determination. He had to admit, the panda had heart.

Another shadow appeared overhead, this one more serpentine. Po bit his lip, his anxiety and fear overpowering his want to appear proud and unmovable in front of Master Lishun. While he had the utmost respect for the dragon, he also had a deep-seated fear of what would happen, should he fail his master. He hoped that the dragon would go easy on him.

The sun was blocked from the horizon as Master Lishun landed, folding his wings and standing tall. The sun's rays glowed from behind him, making his curved back look like golden mountains with jagged peaks. His whiskers hung low, swaying gently in the cold mountain breeze. He looked at Po with half-lidded eyes and a snarl that challenged Po's mental well-being.

"Are you prepared to battle, Dragon Warrior?" he asked.

"No," Po said truthfully, "but I'll give it my best shot."

Lishun chuckled and started to circle around. Master Shifu stepped back, standing next to Viper and Tigress. Viper looked up at him worriedly, her mouth open as she wanted to voice her opinion, but she looked away and remained silent. She trusted her master's judgment, even if she wasn't sure why he made the decisions he did.

Tigress, on the other hand, was not feeling very well at all. She had a sick feeling in her stomach that something bad was going to happen, and that she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Po watched Lishun circle around him. He narrowed his eyes and took up a defensive stance, one shoulder always facing his attacker. Lishun was eyeing him as he paced, looking much like a cat stalking its prey.

Po blinked, and his world turned upside down in an instant. He was knocked to the ground with so much force that he was sent flying into the nearest wall, only to bounce back and roll across the floor. Taken by surprise, the wind had been knocked out of him and he lay on his back, coughing for a few seconds. Lishun stood over him, eyes gleaming golden-yellow in the dark silhouette that was his face. His body blocked out the sun, even more when his wings unfurled and revealed bright golden patterns that dazzled the eyes and distracted the mind. Shifu lowered his ears and snarled.

"That's low."

Lishun pretended not to hear as he stepped closer to the panda, who was getting to his feet and staring up in horror. The patterns confused and hurt his eyes. Too many stripes and lines, glowing like molten iron against the shadowed silhouette of a nightmare. Po had never truly been afraid of anyone. He had respected and been wary of his masters, and maybe grew a little frightened of Tai Lung until their battle, but never had he simply looked at someone approaching him and been rendered immobile by shock, awe and fear.

"Po!"

Tigress' voice snapped him to attention. He briefly looked her way, and then realized that this is what Lishun was _trying_ to do. Intimidation and fear, those were his tactics. He sought to strike terror in the hearts of all who opposed him, and because of that, he had been able to win without a fight. When Po realized this, he smiled at the dragon and laughed.

Lishun was caught off-guard by the display of mirth from the panda. He was confused. Po was soft, and for a moment, he had been frozen in fear. Lishun snarled and roared, baring his sharp teeth. Po just laughed harder. Lishun growled and pressed his forehead against Po's, staring him straight in the eye. Po shut up for a moment and looked right back.

"Just what is it that you find so amusing, Dragon Warrior?" Lishun hissed, his voice thick and smooth as honey, yet laced with malice and a darkness that Po had not yet witnessed.

"Well, when I'm scared, I just learned to laugh it off. It makes me not-so-scared," Po chuckled. "Why?"

"Because I find it very annoying."

Po was launched across the arena once again when Lishun's tail snaked around his leg and threw him into the wall, leaving a panda-shaped indent. Po grumbled and got back up.

"That wasn't very nice, mister."

"Who said anything about me being benevolent?"

Po was swept off his feet again and pinned to the ground, Lishun's massive talons scraping the ground dangerously close to Po's ears, his head nothing more than a spot between his toes. Po tried to get up, but the dragon's might was far too strong. Po couldn't move. Lishun lowered his teeth to Po's ear.

"If I were any less benevolent, I would kill you now, as is the tradition for a battle between dragons. However," Lishun paused, "I will allow you the dishonor of living, and knowing that your palace is now mine."

Po snarled and squirmed as Lishun raised his paw.

"The battle is mine," Lishun declared. "Now, I want all of you out of MY palace by morning."

Monkey turned to Crane.

"HIS palace? The Jade Palace is OUR home, not his."

Crane looked at Master Shifu, who had his ears laid flat against the back of his head.

"Master Shifu?"

The others looked at their master, who refused to look at them.

"Pack your things. We're leaving."

Tigress' jaw dropped, along with the others.

"Why? Why must we leave? The Jade Palace is our home!" Viper said pleadingly.

"Because of my own weakness," was all Shifu said before turning and starting up the steps to the Hall of Warriors.

"No."

Po stood up and brushed himself off, then took up an offensive stance.

"This isn't over! I'm still standing, and I'll fight until I can't stand anymore!" he shouted to Lishun's back.

Lishun chuckled and looked toward him.

"You have already lost the Jade Palace. Is your life really that meaningless to you now?"

Lished turned and swished his tail.

"If you have a death wish, then by all means, I'll be glad to fulfill it."

Po scowled at Lishun.

"The wager still stands, Master Lishun. If you win, you keep the Jade Palace. If I win, we keep it, and I never see your sorry face again."

Lishun bared his fangs.

"How dare you speak to me in such a way? Do you forget that I am your Master?"

"You're no Master. You're just a big bully!" Po scoffed.

Lishun snorted, then laughed.

"Such childish words. Okay, panda. I'll humor your request for a rematch."

Lishun crouched, looking like a cat ready to pounce.

"But should you lose, I have the right to kill you."

Lishun lunged at Po, jaws agape and fangs bared. Po growled and let out a defiant yell, reaching out with both hands and grasping Lishun's open maw, holding him back and keeping him mouth locked open. From somewhere deep within the dragon's throat, a bright glow began to grow. Po narrowed his eyes as he felt the heat from the fire making its way up Lishun's throat. With a grunt, he snapped Lishun's mouth shut and the fires spewed out at either side of his head, the white-hot flames spewing from Lishun's nostrils. Steam followed, and Lishun growled. Po threw Lishun's head away from him, making the dragon's nose bounce painfully against the floor. Lishun snorted and shook his head, his ears ringing and his snout hurting. His maw was made to handle flames, not his nose. All he could smell was burned flesh, and the numbness in his nasal canals enraged him. They would heal, but it would be a painful regrowth of the skin and nerves. He growled and lowered his head, then lunged at the panda.

Po was ready for it and managed to duck out of the way. He grabbed hold of the dragon's tail as he passed, bringing him to a stop and knocking him off balance. He threw Lishun against the wall, laughing as he left a similar indent in the wall next to his own. Lishun did not take kindly to mockery. He leaped at Po after recovering and pinned the bear to the ground. He raised his claws, the bone glinting in the fading sunlight. Po kicked the back of Lishun's wrist, which had surprising results. The dragon suffered from gout, and being kicked at one of the joints that had been effected made his senses rage with pain. He roared and lifted up, giving Po a chance to retaliate and kicked him in the chest.

The dragon fell over and panted, glaring at Po. A dark liquid was starting to ooze from between his teeth. But by the stench, it wasn't blood. Po would have guessed rotting fish and burning tar. The black ooze dripped from Lishun's open maw and splashed on the ground, staining it like ink. Lishun's eyes had changed. They were glowing gold, and a white energy was streaming from them. The black ooze was beginning to drip from the sides of his mouth and his nose, and soon his eye sockets. Po was stricken by both the smell and the fear of what was going on. Lishun had a twisted, wicked smile and was looking at Po like starving lion. He looked around, and the others had vanished. Looking up the slope, he could see Shifu running them up to the pool of sacred tears.

"Master, what's going on? We can't leave him down there!" Monkey said as Shifu ushered them up the stairs.

"Lishun has been infected with a deadly disease, I don't want any of you near him!" Shifu said.

"What disease?" Mantis asked.

"I dare not speak of it."

The others looked at each other. If Master Shifu feared what made Lishun take on such a demonic air, then they didn't want to know what it was that planted such a deadly seed in the dragon's heart.

Po fell over as the dragon stalked toward him. The black ooze was dripping from all over his body, seeping out from beneath his scales. The stench alone was like the dragon had been decaying for years, and the disgusting juices were just now rising to the surface to assault any passersby. Po covered his nose as Lishun came closer. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He had never encountered anything like this in his life. The fact that Shifu and the Five had run off made him realize just how very screwed he was.

Lishun's dark heart was pulsing visibly beneath his skin, so violently that Po feared it would burst from his chest, which it did only moments later. Po retched and gagged, fighting off the nausea that was overwhelming him. He was starting to feel light-headed, and the sight of Lishun's still-beating heart lying on the ground, covered in the viscous black goop that was slowly covering his entire body, was enough to make Po feel faint. He hoped that this was just another scare tactic, something the dragon did to mess with his mind. But, the stench was too strong, the scene too gruesome, the look in his eyes too terrifying, for it to be anything but real.

Po staggered back. This wasn't another scare tactic. The dragon's beating heart was lying in the dirt, his chest torn open and splattering more of the smelly liquid over the ground. Po heard a belch, and Lishun grinned as a toxic black cloud of sulfurous gas spewed from his open maw. Po feared that he would lose more than his lunch at this point. What was it that had caused this change in Lishun? He already looked terrifying enough, so why had his body turned into this hellish nightmare?

Po didn't have time to think on it further, as Lishun lunged at him. Po moved away juust in time, but not before some of the sticky black substance latched onto his fur. He yelped when it began to melt away his fur. He tried to brush it off, but only managed to smear it on his hand and further up his arm. The substance was like an acid that ate away at anything it touched, including skin. Po yelled in pain and terror as the liquid began to sear away his very flesh. Lishun had him surrounded, and all around him, the black ooze was latching onto his fur in thick, gooey strands. Po screamed his throat hoarse as the substance covered him, his entire body feeling as if he had been dunked in boiling oil.

_Now you see…_

Po was losing consciousness. His vision was growing dark.

_Now you see the consequences of your ignorance…_

The voice was not Lishun's, but something older, more frightening. Po found comfort in the pain, finding that it distracted him from the very thing that was staring him in the face.

Lishun's body was nothing more than bones and loose pieces of rotting flesh, hanging from scraps of skin and scales. His skull held only two glowing golden orbs, and his breath stank of decay.

_Now you see the consequences of tangling with the dead…_

Po awoke in his room, panting and sweating. He looked around him. Viper was staring at him in shock, and Master Shifu was standing at his side with a wet cloth.

"Who? What?" Po said, sitting up suddenly and forgetting that his arm had been broken in the fight with Lishun. His face burned where the dragon had clawed him, and he pressed his hand against it until the pain faded into a dull throbbing. He cradled his arm, which he had managed to bump against the wall in his hasty actions.

"Po? Are you alright?" Viper asked, looking as if she had seen a ghost.

"I…Yeah, I'm fine," Po breathed. "Just uh…just a bad dream."

"You woke everyone up," Shifu scolded. "Whatever it was, I hope that it doesn't come again."

Po's memory still had the image of Lishun's undead face burned into his mind. He doubted her would ever get that image – or the feeling of his flesh burning away – out of his head for a while.

"S-Sorry guys."

Shifu gave him the wet cloth to put on his face.

"Those cuts look swollen. Viper, have Mantis check for infection in the morning."

Viper nodded and slithered out of Po's room with Master Shifu. Po slowly stood up and looked at his reflection in the window. Rain was still pouring down outside, and in a brief flash of lighting, Po could have sworn that his reflection had become that of Lishun's. Startled, he rubbed his eyes and opened them again. Nothing was wrong with his reflection. Just him, staring back at himself through the window. With a heavy sigh, Po laid back down. He would not be sleeping this night.


End file.
